❓ A Western Australian parliamentary Question on Notice regarding a prescribed burn (BB125) in Sollya forest block and Milyeannup National Park, and an unplanned fire in D'Entrecasteaux National Park and surrounding areas in late 2011. The questions seek detailed information on the planning, execution, costs, and environmental impact of both fires.
AnsweredQoN 5615Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the prescribed fire BB125 in Sollya forest block and Milyeannup National Park, near Nannup, and the unplanned fire in D'Entrecasteaux National Park, Gingilup Swamps Nature Reserve and private property in November and December 2011, and I ask —
(1) On what days in 2011 was fire applied to the prescribed fire area?
(2) How many other prescribed fires were ignited on the same or adjacent days and where were they lit?
(3) How many hectares were intended to be burnt in —
(a) Sollya forest block;
(b) Milyeannup National Park;
(c) other (please specify); and
(d) total?
(4) How many hectares were burnt in —
(a) Sollya forest block;
(b) Milyeannup National Park;
(c) D'Entrecasteaux National Park?
(d) Gingilup Swamps Nature Reserve;
(e) private property;
(f) other (please specify); and
(g) total?
(5) How many hectares were burnt in the unplanned fire, including back burns?
(6) What was the —
(a) Estimated; and
(b) actual dollar cost of the prescribed fire within the burn area?
(7) What was the dollar cost of the unplanned fire?
(8) Of the total costs in (6b) and (7), please specify the costs for —
(a) overtime and allowances;
(b) accommodation;
(c) travel and food;
(d) contract machinery;
(e) aircraft costs;
(f) heavy fleet;
(g) light fleet?
(h) compensation paid to date;
(i) estimated amount of compensation that may have to be paid;
(j) other (please specify); and
(k) total?
(9) Was the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) or the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) responsible for managing the unplanned fire and from which office did it operate?
(10) Will the Minister please provide full details on what resources were employed and what management actions were implemented in relation to the unplanned fire?
(11) Was a decision made to allow the unplanned fire to burn to the coast?
(12) If yes to (11), on what date and by whom?
(13) Were back burns lit to manage the spread of the unplanned fire?
(14) If yes to (13), what area was burnt in the back burns?
(15) Did volunteers from Bush Fire Brigades attend?
(16) If yes to (15) —
(a) which one(s);
(b) were their resources used to full capacity; and
(c) if not, why not?
(17) Given that one strategic protection success criterion for BB125 was to ensure the burn met the Security Standards outlined in the Fire Operations Guideline 24 (FOG 24), was this success criterion met?
(18) If no to (17), in what way(s)?
(19) Will the Minister please table Fire Operations Guideline 24?
(20) Given that one biodiversity management success criterion for BB125 was that no more than 50 per cent of the Milyeannup Brook riparian vegetation north of Blackwood Road was to be burnt, what percentage of the Milyeannup Brook riparian vegetation north of Blackwood Road was burnt?
(21) Given that one biodiversity management success criterion for BB125 was that no more than 50 per cent of the total burn was to be fully crown scorched, what percentage of the total burn area in —
(a) the prescribed fire area; and
(b) the unplanned fire area was fully crown scorched?
(22) Given that one biodiversity management success criterion for BB125 was that there was to be no significant increase in the turbidity levels within the Milyeannup Brook north of Blackwood Road, was this success criterion met?
(23) If no to (22), by how much?
(24) What species of threatened flora and fauna and/or threatened ecological communities are known to be within —
(a) the burn area for prescribed fire BB125; and
(b) the unplanned fire area?
(25) What species of threatened flora and fauna and/or threatened ecological communities known to be within the total burn area were burnt or affected by —
(a) prescribed fire BB125; and
(b) the unplanned fire?
(26) What species of threatened flora and fauna and/or threatened ecological communities known to be within the total burn area were not burnt or affected by —
(a) prescribed fire BB125; and
(b) the unplanned fire?
(27) Have any post burn surveys been done to assess the response to the fire of threatened flora and fauna and/or threatened ecological communities identified in (24) above?
(28) If yes to (27), when and with what outcome?
(29) If no to (27), why not?
(30) Will the Minister please table for (a) the prescribed fire area and (b) the unplanned fire area —
(a) detailed maps showing 'fuel ages' immediately prior to these fires;
(b) detailed maps showing burnt and unburnt areas; and
(c) post-burn aerial photos?
(1) On what days in 2011 was fire applied to the prescribed fire area?
(2) How many other prescribed fires were ignited on the same or adjacent days and where were they lit?
(3) How many hectares were intended to be burnt in —
(a) Sollya forest block;
(b) Milyeannup National Park;
(c) other (please specify); and
(d) total?
(4) How many hectares were burnt in —
(a) Sollya forest block;
(b) Milyeannup National Park;
(c) D'Entrecasteaux National Park?
(d) Gingilup Swamps Nature Reserve;
(e) private property;
(f) other (please specify); and
(g) total?
(5) How many hectares were burnt in the unplanned fire, including back burns?
(6) What was the —
(a) Estimated; and
(b) actual dollar cost of the prescribed fire within the burn area?
(7) What was the dollar cost of the unplanned fire?
(8) Of the total costs in (6b) and (7), please specify the costs for —
(a) overtime and allowances;
(b) accommodation;
(c) travel and food;
(d) contract machinery;
(e) aircraft costs;
(f) heavy fleet;
(g) light fleet?
(h) compensation paid to date;
(i) estimated amount of compensation that may have to be paid;
(j) other (please specify); and
(k) total?
(9) Was the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) or the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) responsible for managing the unplanned fire and from which office did it operate?
(10) Will the Minister please provide full details on what resources were employed and what management actions were implemented in relation to the unplanned fire?
(11) Was a decision made to allow the unplanned fire to burn to the coast?
(12) If yes to (11), on what date and by whom?
(13) Were back burns lit to manage the spread of the unplanned fire?
(14) If yes to (13), what area was burnt in the back burns?
(15) Did volunteers from Bush Fire Brigades attend?
(16) If yes to (15) —
(a) which one(s);
(b) were their resources used to full capacity; and
(c) if not, why not?
(17) Given that one strategic protection success criterion for BB125 was to ensure the burn met the Security Standards outlined in the Fire Operations Guideline 24 (FOG 24), was this success criterion met?
(18) If no to (17), in what way(s)?
(19) Will the Minister please table Fire Operations Guideline 24?
(20) Given that one biodiversity management success criterion for BB125 was that no more than 50 per cent of the Milyeannup Brook riparian vegetation north of Blackwood Road was to be burnt, what percentage of the Milyeannup Brook riparian vegetation north of Blackwood Road was burnt?
(21) Given that one biodiversity management success criterion for BB125 was that no more than 50 per cent of the total burn was to be fully crown scorched, what percentage of the total burn area in —
(a) the prescribed fire area; and
(b) the unplanned fire area was fully crown scorched?
(22) Given that one biodiversity management success criterion for BB125 was that there was to be no significant increase in the turbidity levels within the Milyeannup Brook north of Blackwood Road, was this success criterion met?
(23) If no to (22), by how much?
(24) What species of threatened flora and fauna and/or threatened ecological communities are known to be within —
(a) the burn area for prescribed fire BB125; and
(b) the unplanned fire area?
(25) What species of threatened flora and fauna and/or threatened ecological communities known to be within the total burn area were burnt or affected by —
(a) prescribed fire BB125; and
(b) the unplanned fire?
(26) What species of threatened flora and fauna and/or threatened ecological communities known to be within the total burn area were not burnt or affected by —
(a) prescribed fire BB125; and
(b) the unplanned fire?
(27) Have any post burn surveys been done to assess the response to the fire of threatened flora and fauna and/or threatened ecological communities identified in (24) above?
(28) If yes to (27), when and with what outcome?
(29) If no to (27), why not?
(30) Will the Minister please table for (a) the prescribed fire area and (b) the unplanned fire area —
(a) detailed maps showing 'fuel ages' immediately prior to these fires;
(b) detailed maps showing burnt and unburnt areas; and
(c) post-burn aerial photos?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
26 June 2012
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment
Response time
35 days
[see tabled paper no]
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Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
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